A treatise on chemistry. Vol. III, The chemistry of the hydrocarbons and their derivatives, or, Organic chemistry. Part I / by H.E. Roscoe & C. Schorlemmer.

  • Henry Enfield Roscoe
Date:
1881
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on chemistry. Vol. III, The chemistry of the hydrocarbons and their derivatives, or, Organic chemistry. Part I / by H.E. Roscoe & C. Schorlemmer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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    to a high temperature, ahnost every carbon compound can be converted into a paraffin or a mixture of these substances. Thus, for example, butyric acid and succinic acid treated in this way yield butane : (a) CJifi., + G HI - C,H,o + 2 H^O -}- 312 (5) GJi,o] + 12 HI = C,H,o + 4 H^O + 61^. and aniline by this treatment yields hexane : CgH,N + llHI = G,ll,, + NH,I + 5I2. Wood, coal, and even charcoal thus treated yield mixtures of paraffins. Graphite, on the other hand, remains unchanged. As free iodine may, in these cases, give rise to complications, it is advisable to add amorphous phosphorus in order to prevent the liberation of iodine. (7) Paraffins are likewise formed when the fatty acids or acids of the series CnHon —2O4 are heated with alkalis. Acetic acid thus treated yields methane : CH3.CO.ONa -h HONa = CH, + C0(0Na)2, whilst by heating suberic acid with baryta hexane is obtained: Q.H,,(C02H)2 + 2 Ba(0H)2 = CgH.^ + 2BaC03 + 2H2O. These reactions are, however, usually not simple ones, a larger or smaller quantity of bye-products being at the same time formed. 93 The hydrocarbons obtained by dissolving cast-iron in acids also contain j^araffins. By dissolving a manganiferous spiegel- iron in dilute sulphuric acid, Cloez obtained a liquid in which the series of paraffins from decane, C;^oH22, to hecdecane, C^gHg^, were contained.^ Paraffins are also formed by the direct distillation of wood, coal, bituminous shale, fatty oils, resins, animal matter, and other organic substances. It has already been stated that Keichen- bach was the first to obtain the solid members of the series. In this way he also obtained a mixture of the lower members, which are usually liquids. To this mixture he gave the name of cupion (eu, good, and vrtoV, fat). He observed that these liquids are not attacked by sulpliuric or nitric acid, or even by potassium or the alkalis.- Frankland'' then noticed that the J C'mnpt. Revd. Ixxxv. 1003. ' Ann. Chcvi. Pkarm. xiii. 217. lb. Ixxiv. C7.